Residents loudly oppose homeless coalition's proposal

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless wants to build facility on Federal Center land

The first large-scale open meeting hosted by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless about its possible ownership of 59 undeveloped acres near the Federal Center in Lakewood on Feb. 8 at Alameda High …

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Federal Center

Residents loudly oppose homeless coalition's proposal

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless wants to build facility on Federal Center land

Residents queue up to ask questions of Colorado Coalition for the Homeless staff during a packed open house at Alameda High School on Feb. 8.

Clarke Reader

John Parvensky, president and CEO of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, answers questions at an open house on Feb. 8 about the 59 acres of federal property, as Mayor Adam Paul looks on.

Clarke Reader

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless wants to lease the 59 acres of undeveloped land near the Federal Center and St. Anthony Hospital to build a development for temporary housing for the homeless and, later, affordable housing units. It also is proposing a solar panel farm on the property.

Courtesy photo

Posted
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 11:44 am

Timeline of sale

• October 2015: The 59 acres are put forth as a joint project between Lakewood and the General Services Administration, which owns the land. In exchange for the land, the city would build a new laboratory at the Federal Center.

• January 2016: Due to concern from residents and some city council members about a lack of information and time to do the necessary groundwork, negotiations end.

• May 10, 2017: The property is put on sale in an online auction. Bidders must make a deposit of $95,000 to show they are serious about taking ownership of the land.

• July 25, 2017: Colorado Coalition for the Homeless files an injunction against the GSA, asking to halt the sale until the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a chance to determine if the land could be used for homeless services.

• July 27, 2017: The original auction had been scheduled to close on this date, but the government extends the auction until Sept. 8 while it reviews the coalition's injunction.

• Sept. 25, 2017: HUD releases a letter stating the land could be used for homeless services, and orders the GSA to cancel its online auction.

• Oct. 6, 2017: HUD formally pronounces the land suitable for homeless housing, giving the coalition time to submit an application to the Department of Health and Human Services regarding its interest in the property.

• Dec. 26, 2017: The coalition submits initial application to Department of Health and Human Services to take ownership of the property.

• Jan. 23, 2018: HHS approves the plan submitted by the coalition, which moves the organization on to the next step: supplying detailed financing and operational plans for the $120 million project by March 9, again to the HHS.

Federal regulations for site use

As part of the federal regulations under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is hemmed in when it comes to land use.

• The plan has to use the entire 59 acres — it must to be all or nothing.

• The site uses cannot be mixed.

• Development on the site has to solely focus on assisting the homeless.

The first large-scale open meeting hosted by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless about its possible ownership of 59 undeveloped acres near the Federal Center in Lakewood on Feb. 8 at Alameda High School didn't offer much in the way of new information for concerned residents.

What it did offer, and what many of the more than 100 people in attendance took advantage of, was an opportunity to vent their frustration and anger about the proposed project to the coalition, the federal government and city council.

“You're going to bring in mentally ill people, drug addicts and who knows what else, all of whom have been chased out of Denver,” said resident Jerry Wilson. “When is enough enough?”

The coalition held the meeting as part of the application process to take ownership of the property.

“With housing prices going through the roof in the Denver area, we're seeing more and more people becoming homeless, especially families. For many, this is their first time experiencing it," John Parvensky, the coalition's president and CEO, said at the beginning of the meeting. “According to Jeffco schools, there are as many 2,700 homeless students in the school district, and we want to help all these people find a stable place to stay.”

Most of the speakers who opposed the proposal — many vehemently so — were less concerned about families than about homeless from other counties and cities gathering in one place in the middle of Lakewood. One speaker called it building a ghetto in the city.

Despite Parvensky's assurances that a priority would be given to homeless who already stay in Jeffco, residents said they were frustrated there would be no way to guarantee a person lives in the county.

Other concerns included fear of increased crime — especially car break-ins and retail theft at businesses in the area, which would take the time and resources of an already busy Lakewood Police Department — traffic woes and the addition of more children to neighborhood schools.

In response to several of these comments, Parvensky said most of the people and students are already in the area, and providing this needed housing, as well as mental health and vocational services, would help them get off the street and onto a better life.

But although most speakers commended the coalition for its goals and work, they came back to a universal concern — the proposed project's size.

The final plans are still in the works, but the coalition is looking at two phases: The first would be temporary housing options for about 250 homeless people on the site, and could include trailers, geodesic domes and large tents, as well as solar panels to help power the campus.

Down the road, the organization would like to build 500 to 600 permanent affordable housing units in apartment buildings on the site, capable of housing 1,000 people. The coalition is considering turning about 12 acres in the northern section of the property into a solar panel farm.

“The scale of this project is kind of terrifying,” said Shannon O'Hara, owner of the nearby Goddard School of Lakewood.

Perhaps the most cited concern of the evening was the environmental safety of the land. For many years, the northern acres of the site (where the coalition proposes to set up the solar farm) were used as a landfill for a variety of materials, including asbestos. While the materials have been buried, and the General Services Administration, which owns the property, said there are no restrictions to building on it, many residents worried about exposing the homeless to potentially dangerously toxic land.

“We cannot do our own land tests until we have a lease with the federal government, but we will do them if we get the lease,” Parvensky said. “We will not take ownership of the land if it is dangerous for people to live on.”

As an alternative to a use that is solely for the homeless, several speakers spoke in favor of a mixed-use housing project, which would blend different housing options. The 59 acres are zoned Mixed-Use Core Transit (M-C-T), which allows for high-density residential and retail.

Anger was directed at Mayor Adam Paul, who was on hand with several other city council members, for not advocating for this kind of project. Since it is now a federal matter, Lakewood has no say over the site or the decisions made there, despite many residents' wishes.

“I'm here like most of you are to learn tonight,” Paul said. “I have said many times before that I support the work done by the coalition, but I have many concerns about this project and do not support this use.”

The coalition's original injunction was filed under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which requires federal agencies to identify and make available surplus federal property, such as buildings and land, for use by states, local governments and nonprofit agencies to assist homeless people.

The coalition may not have received the same levels of loud applause as those who spoke against the project, but about five people did step up to advocate for the coalition's plan and work.

“I believe in my heart that everybody is worthy of dignity, and know the coalition would not build a housing facility that would hurt homeless people,” said resident Annie Carter. “These people are here already, so let's take care of our neighbors.”

Rick Roberts, with the Legacy Grace Community Development Association, a nonprofit that works to provide affordable housing options to those in need, even chided the audience for its reaction to the project.

“This is an indictment of all of us and our community, because it seems like we really don't care,” he said. “There is no simple or easy solution, and there's a lot of factors to consider. But if you don't like this plan, come up with something better.”

The coalition aims to hold more meetings as the project progresses, and with concerns about zoning ahead, even if it is approved, residents are gearing up for a long debate.

“I feel like I was hit in the face by a baseball bat, because we have no say in what you are able to do,” said resident Laura Magee. “If you think the community is going to lay down and allow this, you are mistaken.”

It came down to the wire.
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On Election Night, the measure was down more than 8,000 votes, but as more votes were counted in the days that followed Election Day, the gap between those wanting to fund the $567 million bond for Jefferson County Public Schools and those not, narrowed.

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